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IndyCar: Will Power takes third straight pole for Honda Grand Prix

Will Power became the first driver to top a qualifying session with IndyCar's latest equipment package. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

For the third year in a row but under different conditions, Will Power won the pole for the Honda Grand Prix, the Izod IndyCar Series' season-opening race.

Power won the first four poles of last season; he has won 25 poles in his career, good for 10th all-time alongside Paul Tracy.

Power also became the first driver to top a qualifying session with IndyCar's latest equipment package. He toured the 1.8-mile circuit in 1 minute, 1.3721 seconds, breaking the series' record of 1:01.6026 set in 2010.

It was a Team Penske sweep of Sunday's front row. Ryan Briscoe will start alongside him.

“I actually was surprised at the lap time with old tires,” Power said of continuing with the Firestone reds.

“It's a great effort,” said Briscoe, whose car needed a new battery just prior to qualifying. “It's nice to get the season started with this kind of speed.”

The top five qualifiers in what is known as the Firestone Fast Six were powered by Chevrolet. Those drivers included Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe of Andretti Autosport in third and fourth, respectively, with Team Penske's Helio Castroneves, a two-time race winner here, fifth.

Castroneves slapped the turn-nine wall on his final lap of the second round of qualifying, but the crew fixed the left rear suspension in short order.

“Unfortunately, I went over the limit of the car,” Castroneves said.

This will be Hinchcliffe's first start at this track. He is driving the car the sport associates with Danica Patrick, although Hinchcliffe's number is 27 rather than 7.

Simon Pagenaud had the fastest Honda--he was quickest in the second of the three qualifying rounds--but he must start 16th as a penalty for his team, Schmidt Hamilton Racing, making an unapproved engine change.

Pagenaud is a rookie in the series but is experienced with the track because of his participation in the American Le Mans Series.

Ganassi Racing drivers Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, who drive Hondas, failed to earn a spot in the Fast Six. With Pagenaud's penalty, they will start sixth and ninth, respectively.

The race is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ABC. Holly Wheldon, the younger sister of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, will wave the green flag and present the winner with the trophy.